Wallonia exported 46 million euros worth of arms to Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2019

In the first quarter of 2019, real arms exports from the Walloon Region to Saudi Arabia amounted to 45.970 million euros; those to the United Arab Emirates amounting to 2,289 million euros.

(1888PressRelease) September 10, 2019 - As for exports to Canada of tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, armed or not and their parts, they amounted to 179.748 million euros, according to figures cited in the report of the Walloon Weapons Observatory.

An initiative emanating from civil society, this Observatory aims to make the Walloon Region accountable for its obligations in the arms trade, paying particular attention to Walloon arms exports to the countries involved in the war. Yemen.

According to public data collected by Amnesty International, for example, Belgium reported for 2018 export licenses to Saudi Arabia for € 195.776 million and did not report any export licenses to the United Arab Emirates. Real exports from the Walloon Region to Saudi Arabia amounted to 182,407 million euros while those to the United Arab Emirates amounted to 14,907 million euros. Exports to Canada of 'Tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, armed or unarmed and their parts' amounted to 428,391 million euros that same year.

The data collected by Amnesty also shows that although Belgium submitted its annual reports in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 in accordance with the obligations of the Arms Trade Treaty, the information provided "lacks details in the description and number of items transferred, "said the Research and Information Group on Peace and Security (GRIP).

As for Wallonia, it submitted annual reports under the 2012 regional decree. In 2017, these reports were considered 'incomplete, too rare and too late' by GRIP. As of August 30, 2019, the Walloon Region had not yet submitted its annual report for 2018.